Serious Organised Crime strategy

Foreword

Organised crime remains a serious threat to us all and we pay for it every day, either directly as victims or indirectly by paying for the services – such as police, prosecution, the health services - that are required to respond to it.

I want to see a Scotland where we all work together to reduce the harm caused by organised crime. Harm reduction will benefit our communities, businesses and every one of us.

Despite significant progress, we know that the coming period will be ever more challenging as we adapt to new ways of working to tackle the consequences of leaving the European Union and the significant complexities of current and future threats. We know also that there is a significant changing face to organised crime in Scotland with issues such as fraud and cybercrime very much to the fore.

Serious Organised Crime Taskforce members continue to work with other organisations at home and abroad to tackle these threats. Our multi-partnership approach has delivered notable successes, but there is more to be done. We recognise the increasing importance of working with communities to divert those vulnerable to exploitation away from the reach of organised crime groups.

This updated strategy puts the emphasis firmly on identifying the key threats and putting our response to those threats at the heart of our efforts. It marks the first stage in a continuing journey as our plans evolve and mature. We will have the greatest chance of success if everyone in Scotland plays their part in keeping our communities safe and continuing to make the country a hostile environment for those who co-ordinate and commit serious offences or seek to exploit others for their own gain.

Keith Brown

Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Veterans